Tokka Week 2016
by Malfunctioning Android
Summary: I am going to try and fill this out for every day. Please note, you may need to see a dentist after all my sweetness.
1. Once Upon a Time - Day One

"Once upon a time there was a brave warrior…" A man said to the child tucked into bed. Said child wasn't tired though.

"No!~" She said to the adult. "No more _Brave Warrior Sokka_ stories!" The little girl said climbing out of her sheets, kicking them out of her way.

"Now what makes you think that was another one of those?" The man enquired. "It was a girl warrior. Do I look like a girl to you?"

"No." The girl sat down on the bed and looked up at the man with rapt attention. "You're a daddy."

"Very true Lin." Sokka said to her. "Now are you going to listen to my story or do I have to get momma in here?"

The empty threat worked on the five year old as she laid down and got tucked into her sheets again.

"Now where was I?" He pondered, jokingly.

"Once upon a time there was a brave warrior!" Lin exclaimed impatiently.

"Okay, kiddo." Sokka said, soothing the little girl. "Once upon a time there was a brave warrior. Well she wasn't really a warrior. She was a princess with a short temper. Her parents tried to keep her hidden from the world, in hopes of keeping a promise with a nearby kingdom of marrying her to the prince there, Prince John."

"No!" Lin exclaimed again, startling Sokka a bit. "Marrying is yucky!"

"I hope you keep that mentality forever." Sokka sighed. "Anyway, the princess didn't stay in her room doing whatever it is that princesses do."

"They drink tea. And sew." Lin supplied, dutifully.

"Yeah that stuff. Instead of drinking tea and sewing, this princess, Princess Toph,"

"That's Momma's name." Lin commented.

"Sheer coincidence." Sokka said brushing off the concerns. "So Princess Toph didn't do the normal princess stuff. She snuck away from her handmaiden and went down to the Knight's Quarters most days. Princess Toph would learn from the Knights there. The Quartermaster, the head knight, only let her learn properly because it meant he could limit her injuries with practice swords rather than the real thing. It was also because girl knights were a rare thing."

"Why? Girls are even better at doing stuff than boys." Lin interjected.

"Boys don't like getting beat by girls. Remember when you beat Tenzin?" Sokka tried answering diplomatically. At her nod, he continued. "Near the end of her training, she discovered a fight ring that was normally hidden from her. She heard it from her handmaiden and another maid in the palace one night. They were talking in the kitchen when she went down for a snack. After they left, and with a sandwich in hand, she went up to her room with a plan of how to get into that tournament." Lin had a sly smirk on her face when Sokka looked down at her. "She found an outfit that successfully hid her identity and used some of her money to buy her way into the tournament. She fought her way to the top of the ranks, even beating the most musclebound man there, The Mountain, many times."

"Yay!" Lin cheered sleepily.

"On her last match, however, there were three special people in the crowd. They were looking for a knight to teach one of their members how to fight. When they saw the princess hold her own against all the fighters, it was voted on and majority said that, if she agreed, she could join the trio."

"Awesome." Lin agreed, barely staying awake to hear the end of the story.

"They managed to locate the princess using the gossip going around the town, and the castle the closer they got.

When they entered the castle door, they were escorted to the throne room, this was because the member of the trio who needed lessons was somewhat legendary. They politely requested the princess come with them, but their request was refused. The king and queen did invite the trio to dinner though, in the private dining room, where the family normally ate. They accepted the kind offer and the trio separated to get cleaned up for the meal.

They met up again, just before dinner so they could all walk into the room together.

During the meal, the king and queen asked the trio why they would want a princess as a part of their group."

"Because she can kick butt!" Lin said in encouragement.

"Yes she can." Sokka agreed. "The person who needed training was accidentally spilling the beans about princess Toph's extra activities but she quickly silenced him with a quick kick to his shin." Lin giggled. "After dinner, and a large bruise beginning of form on a leg, the trio left the castle and headed to the inn they were staying that night.

The next morning, the boys were surprised to see the princess in their room, dressed in her workout clothes, with a pack on her back. She was willing to go with them, so she could see the world and taste true freedom before she became of age to marry."

"Icky." Lin mumbled.

Sokka smiled. "They allowed her as long as she taught the member that needed teaching. At her agreement, the trio gathered up their things as quickly as they could. They paid their fee for the night and were on their way while the sun was still climbing."

Solka kissed Lin on the forehead and quietly escaped her room.

* * *

"So I'm a princess, Snoozles?"

Sokka jumped a foot in the air and stifled a scream by covering his mouth. He turned to see the smug grin on Toph's face.

"Well?" She prodded.

He smiled and wrapped her in a hug. "No. To me, you're a queen."

Her cheeks were lightly dusted with a blush and she punched him in retaliation.


	2. Music - Day Two

Toph Beifong was a prodigy on the grand piano. She was accepted into a prestigious symphony orchestra.

Blind Bandit is an electric keyboard player in the band known as "Gaang". She appeared with the band a week after Toph Beifong didn't show up for rehearsals.

Toph knew how to play a song by sound and Blind Bandit is never seen without her signature thick, hipster-style glasses.

* * *

"Twinkle Toes, you missed a spot!" A voice belled through the loft a group of five people lived in.

"What? Whe- Toph!" Aang yelled back at the woman who was cackling.

"That's my name, don't say it outside." She responded.

"Toph? Did you use the last-?" Another voice yelled but was interrupted.

"In the other press, Sugar Queen!"

"Thanks!"

"Want to go for a walk?" A new, quieter voice said, from her left. "A new movie came out last week."

"Can I come?" Another, raspier, voice said, on her other side. "They're too sappy."

"Will you pitch in for popcorn this time, Sparky?" Toph asked.

"Anything to get away from that." He agreed quickly, indicating the other two members of the household. "And date night."

Toph raised an eyebrow.

"It was their request that we clear out." "Sparky" responded.

"Zuko, no!" The person on the left said, disgust dripping from their voice.

"Snoozles, shush." Toph retorted.

"Yeah, Sokka." Zuko agreed. "You're one to talk."

Toph punched Zuko in the arm, Sokka was distracted.

"Movies," Zuko said, rubbing his arm. "And I will sit as far away from you two as I can."

"I can take that." Sokka said, with Toph nodding as well.

"Ghostbusters?" Zuko asked.

"Ghostbusters." Sokka and Toph chorused in agreement.

"Sugar Queen, Twinkle Toes!" Toph roared into the loft. "We're going to the movies!"

* * *

 _"When the girls, when the girls talk,"_ Sokka sang with Zuko.

 _"When the girls talk boys!"_ They sang with Toph joining in as they exited the cinema.

They could hear the whispers around them. _Is that the Bandit? That guy looks like Fire Prince._ And more were indirectly aimed to the trio.

None of them cared however.

Sokka was wearing one of Aang's SnapBacks, Toph had her glasses in her bag (that previously held bags of candy) and Zuko had makeup covering a distinctive scar on his face and his hair over the worse part.

"Hey!" Sokka exclaimed. "We can do it better!"

"Yeah!" Toph agreed. "So much better. We can add girl voices!"

Okay, so maybe it wasn't _just_ candy that was snuck into the cinema.

They staggered down the footpath, supporting each other and stopping one another from walking onto the streets.

"The keyboard would sound awesome in it!" Toph commented.

"And the guitars!" Zuko added.

Sokka pulled Zuko away from the kerb and to the inside of the footpath.

"I have to call someone." Zuko said suddenly. I'll catch up."

"Okay buddy." Sokka said, dragging Toph along.

"See ya!" She called out over her shoulder.

Sokka smirked and tried to plant a kiss on Toph's forehead. She angled her head for one on the lips.

* * *

"I like your bed, Snoozles." Toph commented the next morning.

"I agree. It's why I got it. Want to keep sharing?" Sokka asked.

"Well it _is_ closer to the bathroom than Sugar Queen's." Toph stated. "Which means I could beat her to the hot water more often. I'm sold. For now."


	3. SHIELD - Day Three

Sokka Regar is a level 6 agent. He's skilled in many weapons but his weapons of choice are his boomerang and a sword he crafted. He works with the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division or SHIELD for short.  
It's an organisation that encourages the Benders of modern society, the few that are recorded to date, to use their gifts to help people.  
Sokka has met some interesting people in his career with SHIELD.  
He met the Avatar, Aang, frozen in ice for over a hundred years, a man he took under his wing until his sister, Katara, a water bender and healer, met him. Then she took over.  
He's met a fire bender with the shortest temper he's ever seen. Zuko Vatra has traced his roots to the fire nation of the old days, when Aang is from around.  
There were other non-benders, like himself, who worked with SHIELD as well. Suki Kyo, a martial artist from a small island of specialists, is his partner for most of their missions.  
They both report to Iroh Sparks, whom everyone calls Uncle, a top negotiator within the organisation.

* * *

"You shouldn't be here. The Blind Bandit will getcha." A beggar lady said to Sokka as he passed. "Don't say I didn't warn ya."  
"What can you tell me about the Blind Bandit?" Sokka inquired. "$20 for the truth."  
"No one knows if she has eyes. No one's been close enough to tell and lived to say. I can say that the Bandit is a girl though. Or a young boy. The voice is too high to be a man. And they're very short."  
Sokka tossed a pair of crumpled ten dollar bills to the woman who snatched them and ran. His first day on a new case, looking for the bender that had cropped up on their radar. No one could tell anything about the individual other than people ended up bruised.  
 _"_ _Anything?"_ Suki's voice sounded, from a comm link in his ear.  
"A short woman or boy." Sokka supplied. "Just about over four foot." He trailed off.  
 _"_ _Sokka?"_ Suki asked. _"_ _Are they there? Do you need back up?"_  
"Yeah. Speaker please."  
Suki turned on the microphone in his wrist (He is a giant nerd and wants one on every mission) that is only used in instances like this, where they need to listen to two sides of a conversation.  
"Wow, here a day just and I get to meet the famous Blind Bandit. Are you really blind or is that a gimmick. Ooh! Do you see stuff like Daredevil? He senses vibrations in the ground." Sokka aimed towards the newcomer. He could feel the hit Suki was going to deliver later but he regretted nothing. It could provide valuable intel.  
"Uhhh…" Was the response he got.  
"What?" Sokka asked. "Never met someone eager to meet you?"  
"No." She responded. "Never someone this eager. What are you a fanboy?"  
"Just a normal person, just interested in the local lore of a hero where I'm going to move to. You can never be too careful." Sokka replied.  
"And bribing a homeless old lady was research?" She asked, sarcastically.  
"Very good research. She said you were either a short woman or a little boy." Sokka retorted. "She was right about the woman part." He knew Suki was typing in the background, noting the important things. He could hear the keystrokes.  
The woman smirked. "I know about you too, mister." Sokka raised an eyebrow at her. "I know you're not moving anywhere. Also, I'm not an ordinary bender."  
 _"_ _Sokka, get out-"_ Suki was cut off as his comm unit fell out of his ear in a crumpled mess.  
"My life is full of this crap" Sokka muttered to himself. The microphones were also destroyed soon after.  
"This would be so much easier, Snoozles, if we didn't have to sneak around." Blind Bandit wrapped her arms around him. "Did she really say I looked like a little boy?"  
"Yeah." He snorted. "Do you know how hard it was to _not_ laugh?"  
"I can imagine." Toph replied sarcastically.  
"Do you want to be a part of something great?" Sokka asked her.  
"I am great." She boasted.  
"There is a team being assembled by the place I work." Sokka continued, used to hearing her boast. "Full of people who have many talents. There's a guy who uses swords too."  
"You two must have bonded."  
"Oh we're like this." Sokka said, crossing his fingers.  
She punched him. "We have about five minutes before she comes."  
"You could always join the team. Say you came willingly." Sokka pleaded.  
"I don't know. Isn't your sister one of them?"  
"I regret offering."  
"No you don't."  
"You _know_ her?!" A new, to Toph, voice said. They both froze.  
"You said we had five minutes" He whispered to her.  
"I said _about_." She retorted.  
They both turned around to face the newcomer. "Suki, as it turns out, the person that we were sent to employ is my girlfriend."  
"This is the girl you never shut up about?" Suki asked, eyeing the shorter woman. "You're taller than he described."  
"And you must be the woman he says has deadly aim with a tessen fan." You're lighter than he described."  
"I like you." Suki said. "I'm Suki Kyo, his partner, the reason his butt is here most of the time."  
"I'm Toph Beifong, the reason he has a dumb grin most mornings."  
" _Really_ regretting taking this case now." Sokka groaned, though neither woman was listening to him. He pulled out his phone and dialled the duo's handler.  
"Hi Uncle Iroh." He said making Toph pause as she didn't remember him ever mentioning family beyond his sister. "Yeah. I'm good. So's Suki. You know how you said I could hoard the jerky in the break room if I followed protocol? Hang on for a second." He put the phone to his chest. "Do you want to join the team I mentioned?" That was directed at Toph.  
"Do I get some of that jerky?" Toph negotiated.  
"I'll throw in some Cactus Juice when you need it _if_ you don't punch me later."  
"Deal."  
Sokka brought up his phone again. "The new members are Toph Beifong and Sokka Regar. I will not be able to oversee her training however. Because I'm her boyfriend" He said smugly. "He wants to talk to you, Suki." He handed the phone over to the woman.  
"Yes, Uncle?" Suki said when she got the phone.  
"Please tell me he's one of those people everyone calls uncle and not your _real_ uncle." Toph said.  
"Nah. It's his codename. Though he is someone's uncle. I heard him calling someone "nephew" once."  
"Hey Toph, we start training at oh-six-hundred, Monday morning. No keeping her up late, _Snoozles_."


	4. Wait For It - Day Four

"I'm bored!" Sokka whined.

"I don't care!" Toph mock-whined back. "I wasn't the one who lost the keys."

"I didn't _lose_ them, per say." Sokka mumbled. "They _may_ be in the loft."

"So we're sitting here, waiting for Twinkle Toes and Sugar Queen to pick us up in Appa, because you, Snoozles, are an idiot."

"...I deserve that" Sokka conceded.

"You're paying for the shakes as well." Toph said, finishing the conversation.

"I figured." Sokka sighed. "How you holding up?" He asked.

"I'm okay." Toph said quietly. "I'm going to need baggy clothes for a bit, though." She said, trying to alleviate the mood that had dropped.

Sokka glared at the girl, who didn't see it. She'd lost her glasses. He sighed in frustrated relief before looking up at the ceiling in the parlour they were in.

"Please don't tell Sugar Queen." Toph pleaded. "Or anyone."

"I'd never do anything like that to you." Sokka said, sincerely.

The milkshakes they'd ordered arrived. Mint chocolate chip for Toph and blue raspberry for Sokka.

"I am going to keep it." Toph said suddenly.

"I know." Sokka replied.

"I don't care what people say."

"And you used to before?"

Toph smirked. "Hell no!" She said standing up and was pulled down with a grin as one of the waiters glared over at the duo.

"They like us here, Toph, but not that much." Sokka whispered.

She laughed and patted his man-bun and moved her hand so she was patting the top of his head.

"I really hope they bring your spare pair of glasses, Toph." Sokka said after a long drag from his milkshake. "Because I will not get you or thingy anything for a week otherwise."

The threat was empty, they both knew it. But they were basking in the sliver of normalcy they rarely got.

"Sure Snoozles. I'll just get Sparky to get it. He goes to the shop to flirt with the shopgirl that has no emotions." Toph said. "I think he might like the excuse."

"I think everyone will like the excuse." Sokka stated. "Especially Katara."

"Uncle Iroh mightn't."

"He'll be more into it than you probably."

"Maybe."

* * *

"Guys." A new voice said. "Are you ready to go?"

Toph and Sokka glanced at one another before rising from their seats. Sokka tossed a couple bills on the table they were sitting at, enough for the milkshakes they had and a tip. They followed Aang out of the parlour and towards the minivan named after his first pet.

Toph noticed that Sokka wrapped an arm around her as they left the warmth of the building.

Katara handed the other woman a glasses case as she sat in and Toph eagerly put them on and dug through her bag, looking for something.

Aang sat in the driver's seat and started Appa. Soon they were on their way to the loft.

Toph stopped digging after a moment and took a deep breath. Katara looked at the two of them and Sokka shook his head, silently prompting her to stay out, for now. She turned back to the front and started talking to Aang about dinner, keep him from looking at the very back row of the minivan.

"Us against everyone?" Sokka said quietly, holding out a hand for her to grasp.

Toph smirked and grabbed it. She pulled a small plastic bag out of her bag and took a plastic stick out of it, careful to not hint it's existence to the two up front.

She read it and her smirk widened into a grin and she squeezed his hand. Sokka's eyes widened in realisation and he squeezed back.

* * *

They got into the loft and Momo, Aang's flying lemur, flew up to them and curled around Toph's neck, nuzzling her cheek before scaling down her shirt and poking the toned muscle of her abdomen.

Toph froze and glanced at Sokka who shrugged his shoulders, his eyes wide.

"What's up with Momo?" Zuko asked from the couch.

"I don't know. I've never seen him act like this before." Aang replied.

"Maybe we should bring him to the vet. Just in case." Katara said.

Momo hopped from Toph's stomach to Sokka's head as she paled. She put a hand on her mouth and ran for the nearest bathroom with Sokka following and Momo clinging to his hair. The sound of the door slamming followed by the sound of retching filled the loft.

Zuko put the plate and fork he had on the table in response. Can we bring Toph to the doctor as well?" He asked. "She has been sick for a while."

"Wait." Katara said. "How long has she been sick?"

"I don't keep track of her the whole time but I hear that every so often." Zuko replied, pointing to the bathroom.

"Now that you mention it, I heard her being sick as well." Aang added. "I thought it was a bug or something."

Katara's eyes glinted with something neither of the two remaining men recognised, it slightly worried Aang.

Sokka came back a few moments later and headed to the fridge. He paused to see the concern written on the men's faces and the glint in Katara's eyes. His own widened. Sokka grabbed a bottle of fizzy water before pulling his sister with him. He was back again a minute later with a list.

"I'm going to the supermarket." He said, grabbing his helmet and keys. "Do you want anything while I'm there?"

"We need milk and bread." Aang supplied.

"Got it." He said, grabbing a pen to add it to the list.

Zuko took it as he finished adding the groceries. His eyes widened as realisation dawned on him. "Nope, nope, nope." He said. "I'm staying away from this one."

"What is it?" Aang asked, reminding the two men that though Aang was older than them, he's had very little interaction with people before meeting Sokka and Katara. They played rock, paper, scissors to determine who would be explaining the situation to Aang.

Zuko lost and hung his head in defeat. Sokka grabbed his keys and wallet before calling out farewells and leaving.

"What do you know about women, Aang?" Sokka heard Zuko ask.

* * *

When he returned, Sokka was ambushed by Momo. He saw Toph on the couch with Katara. Aang was pink eared on the furthest chair from the duo. He chuckled softly at the image. He walked into the kitchen to see Zuko waiting for the kettle and tossed him a box of Hot Tamales.

"Thanks." He said and popped a couple in his mouth.

They lapsed into silence while Sokka put the kitchen stuff into the appropriate cupboards.

"Toph's not going to be happy for a while." Sokka said. "Katara's swapping her out to decaf when she's asleep."

"Leave a note." Zuko said "I'm not getting killed because Katara's thinking ahead."

"Way ahead of you." Zuko said, holding up a box of Toph's favourite chocolates.

"Nice." Zuko said, nodding in appreciation.

"It's going to be a long wait, isn't it?"

"It's worth the wait."


	5. Journey - Day Five

It was a four day non-stop road trip from the loft to Ember Island including rest stops, swapping drivers and looking around in general.

It took them two days to gather snacks and drinks that should last the first half of the trip to the island. It was two days because Aang couldn't find Momo's favourite treats the first day. Momo was staying in a pet hotel while the people were away.

* * *

 **DAY ONE - 06:00:**

"Twinkle Toes, why are we awake at stupid o'clock?" Toph said before yawning. She was leaning against Sokka, who was leaning against her.

"There better be coffee soon." Zuko said darkly.

"Uh...there's a Dunkin Donuts nearby." Aang said nervously.

Zuko sat in the middle row of seats in Appa without further comment.

Katara nudged Sokka and Toph awake before they crawled into the back row and fell back to sleep again.

Aang hopped into the driver's seat for the first shift and Katara sat shotgun.

 **06:15:**

Toph smelled what she could only consider heaven. She woke up and took the coffee cup offered to her. Sokka was in a similar state and was drinking his coffee on auto pilot. The donuts that came with the cups of liquid sanity were just as good.

Toph glanced around, pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. Zuko had a cup of tea, she assumed. Katara and Aang had slushy drinks and they were talking animatedly about something she wasn't awake enough to listen in on.

They were just leaving the city limits when she finished her drink and donut.

 **13:42**

Toph was jolted out of her thoughts by Sokka.

"We're stopping for lunch. Are you coming?" He asked.

Toph nodded and they were out with the others. Everyone was stretching out the stiffness of being in the car for over seven hours.

They had pulled into a gas station that had a subway sandwich place. They walked in and headed straight for the food.

Sokka got a meat lovers, Aang got a veggie lovers, Zuko just asked for a Spicy Italian on wheat, Katara and Toph got ham and cheese, much to the sandwich makers relief.

While they were in the shop, Toph and Sokka headed for the fridge and grabbed a couple energy drinks for later.

Katara caught them and asked them to grab her an orange can of monster. The duo blinked at one another before grabbing her beverage, not willing to face her wrath.

The paid for their stuff and piled back into Appa.

 **20:00**

Over twelve hours after they started and Aang tapped out for the night. Sokka hopped behind the steering wheel and Toph claimed shotgun. Zuko was stretched along the back row with a pillow and blanket. Katara passed out in the middle row after her hype from the energy drink wore out. That was what prompted Aang to swap with Sokka.

As they pulled out of the gas station parking lot they were using to swap around, Toph cracked one of their energy drinks open and took a swig. She offered the can to Sokka as she fiddled with the radio to play something other than what Katara was playing all day.

* * *

 **DAY TWO - 09:04**

"Hey!" Toph shouted, startling everyone awake.

Zuko pulled something out from under the pillow and wielded it in a threatening manner. Unamused, Katara took the weapon away from him and out of her face. Aang just looked confused.

"There's a fair!" Toph said, making the just awake groan, especially Katara when she saw the cans littering the front of the minivan.

"Can we go?" Sokka asked.

"We should let them burn off all of _that_." Aang said, noting the amount of cans the duo had drained.

"I don't want to be stuck with them that hyper. I remember trips to Gram-gram's when we were younger. Sokka was annoying, I'm afraid of what they can both do."

"Sure." Zuko said to Sokka and Toph, earning cheers from them. "But we go to the games first."

"Done!" Sokka said, turning off at the junction.

"Give them an hour." Zuko said to the couple in front of him. ""The only reason they're still awake is because they need to focus."

 **11:06**

It took a bit longer than the hour Zuko thought to get the super caffeinated duo tired enough to go back to Appa without complaint. This was because they got their hands on funnel cake and soda. When Katara was pulling out of the parking lot, there were snores emanating from the back row.

 **15:58**

Appa pulled into a truck stop. The stopping motion brought everyone from dreamland or whatever they were entertaining themselves with.

"Uh." Toph grunted. "Do they have showers here?" She asked from the back row. "I smell like crap."

"They should do." Aang said, reading the sign.

Toph dug around her bag to make sure she had what she wanted while Zuko opened the side door. The four from the back hopped out and waited for Katara to circle around.

"Meet back here in an hour." Katara said. "Zuko's driving next and I don't think he'll stick around." She handed him the keys to seal their fate.

 **17:03**

The entirety of minivan was washed. They all, except Aang, still had damp hair climbing back in.

Toph claimed shotgun again . Aang got the back row leaving the siblings to the middle row.

A game of "Would You Rather" was started by Toph when she asked Aang "Would you rather live one life that lasts 1,000 years or live 10 lives that last 100 years each?" With a grin.

 **22:00**

Toph took the keys from Zuko as they were walking back to Appa from a diner. Aang sat in shotgun with a smile as everyone else got comfy for the night ahead.

* * *

 **DAY THREE - 11:00**

"Guys!" Toph exclaimed, startling everyone awake for the second day in a row. "There's an IHOP ahead! Can we get pancakes?"

"Yes and you never go up front during the night shift." Zuko growled out, putting his stick away before Katara took it away as well.

Toph cheered and the minivan swerved onto the ramp leading to the restaurant in question.

 **12:45**

Aang was bringing the group back onto the highway and Toph was leaning against Sokka, sound asleep in the back row. Katara and Zuko were on their laptops in the middle row, typing away. Sokka was absent mindedly listening to music on his phone and playing games.

Aang was nibbling at a tub of berries, watching the scenery pass as a feeling of peace washed over him.

 **15:45**

Another truck stop was where they went for lunch. This one had a good few fast food chains and a subway but no showers.

They scattered the moment they entered the building. They regrouped fifteen minutes later with their food.

Zuko went to KFC, Sokka went to Burger King while Toph went to McDonalds, Katara and Aang went to Subway.

They scattered once more after Aang gave Sokka the keys to Appa and they agreed on another fifteen minutes looking around after they'd eaten.

 **17:00**

"Guys." Sokka asked the back, as there was no one riding shotgun this stretch. "What exit am I supposed to take?"

"Uh...23 I think." Zuko said and then he groaned. "Which was three miles ago."

Everyone else chorused his groan in response.

Sokka pulled over to the side of the road and turned back to the others. "So, what next?"

Zuko unbuckled his belt and climbed into the passenger seat, beside Sokka.

"This happened once." He said as he strapped himself in again. "I' not a hundred percent sure but I think I know how to get back on track."

"That's awesome." Sokka said indicating that he was merging with traffic again.

 **22:00**

Katara took over from Sokka and Zuko bought a couple energy drinks from the twentyfour hour gas station they stopped in.

Sokka scoffed at his purchase and called him weak before crawling beside Toph and going to sleep.

Zuko rolled his eyes and got back into the seat he vacated.

Katara was on the road again before Zuko had opened his first can. She hit a pothole while he was taking a sip and he got a splash of his drink to his face, making Katara giggle and Sokka snort.

* * *

 **DAY FOUR - 03:47**

They were almost there. Zuko could taste it. And the remains of a bottle of coke stuck to his teeth. He couldn't wait to get out of the minivan and sleep in a bed.

Katara was equally excited and maybe hyper, he did share drinks with her.

It didn't surprise him, however, that she wanted to prank everyone awake. He did know her brother. The song was appropriate.

" _I, I did it all_

 _I, I did it all_

 _I owned every second that this world could give_

 _I saw so many places, the things that I did_

 _With every broken bone, I swear I lived."_

The rest of "I Lived" by OneRepublic blasted out of the speakers and woke up everyone just as they got to the gates of Zuko's summer home on Ember Island.

There were sleepy cheers as Zuko unlocked and opened the gate to let them in.

Everyone passed out in the living room, too weary to go looking for beds at this moment.

 **14:59**

"I'm never trusting Katara with road trip music ever." Sokka said, stretching out on the beach near the house.

"That's a slightly easy fix." Toph said from his right side, also laying out. "Get Zuko to drive first."

"Not happening." Zuko replied. "Aang and Katara want to start at stupid o'clock, i' not even partially awake at that time."

"Do _you_ want to get woken up by weird ass music when we get back?" Toph retorted. She took his silence to mean he was thinking about it.


	6. Still Into You - Day Six

Toph can count the years she's been in love with her Snoozles on one hand. It wasn't surprising since they were in their early twenties and they'd known each other since she was eighteen and trying to escape her parents' suffocating grasp.

Sokka needed two hands to count. He'd liked her since he saw her in a café, argueing with someone, her parents he later learned, over the phone about moving out. Toph later told him that she was going to move to the crappier side of town to spite them, if he hadn't offered the couch in his room, via napkin note.

* * *

 _After she'd gotten off the phone, Toph turned to the man who offered his couch._

 _"What do you get out of this? For all you know, I could be a serial killer." She said._

 _"I feel like I can trust you. Plus, what's the chances we're both serial killers?" Sokka retorted with a smirk._

* * *

She took him up on his offer, if only to piss off her parents more than if she went home. It turned out the reason he was offering the couch in his room was because his sister and her boyfriend lived in the same loft. They walked in to see them on the couch. Toph took off her glasses, to not see ithat/i going on in front of her, she had cataracts and needed the strong lenses to see.

Sokka wished, not for the first time, that brain bleach existed so he could forget moments like this. As it was, he wished he couldn't see the one happening in front of him.

* * *

 _"Do you know you're way around here well?" Toph asked._

 _Sokka raised an eyebrow at the question. "Well enough. Why?"_

 _She handed him her glasses and he put them on. He was relieved to see blurs. He took Toph's hand and led he past the living room/kitchen to the halls._

 _"Katara and I planned this part." He said handing her back her glasses so she could see what he was showing her. "We keep meaning to find…" He trailed off. "You can put your bag in here." He said, opening a door, showing her a room painted blue. "I'll be right back."_

* * *

He'd run back to the living room, having momentarily forgotten why he was using her glasses earlier, to interrupt. He'd told them about the girl who needed a place to stay for a bit. They asked if they could meet her and he said all they had to do was put on clothes and he's bring her out.

Katara and Aang blushed crimson and Sokka was chased by pillows as he retreated.

* * *

 _"Hi Toph." Aang said to the raven-haired woman, still pink around the ears, ten minutes after chasing Sokka out._

 _"Are they wearing clothes?" Toph asked Sokka. He snickered out a yes as Aang and Katara turned red again. She put on her glasses and got to see the people in front of her for the first time. "Woah. Cool tattoos. Where did you get them?"_

* * *

Apparently that sealed Toph's moving in. They got the rest of her stuff from her parents' house the next day, while they were out to lunch. She wished she could have seen the look on their faces when they got the note she pinned to her door. It detailed all the things she was hoping to do now that she was out of their grasp. It held promises of piercings, tattoos and true love of her choice.

Sokka, Aang and Katara helped Toph find a job to help pay bills and fulfill some of the promises she wrote in the note.

Katara circled the jobs available in the newspaper, Aang checked online and Sokka helped her create a CV to hand out. After ten minutes, Toph was seated closer to Aang to fill out the online applications.

* * *

 _"No kids, Sugar Queen." Toph learned how many sweet things the other girl consumed and created the name within a minute. "My only interaction with any was when I was one."_

 _"Where did you go to school?" Sokka asked._

 _"I was homeschooled."_

 _"Drivers licence?" Aang asked._

 _She raised an eyebrow at him._

 _"Right, stupid question. I can teach you on my next day off, it's handy." He replied, pressing a few keys._

 _"I can grab stuff tomorrow." Sokka commented. "We can be your references until you get experience."_

 _"There's a diner down the road hiring." Katara informed them._

 _Sokka printed the CV and handed it to the girl._

 _"Be warm and inviting but don't be too nice." Katara advised as Sokka directed her to the diner._

 _"Good luck!" Aang cried out as the door closed._

* * *

She got the waitressing job despite having little experience. There was a girl who worked there who was sweet on Aang and offered to give her training at a slower time the following day.

She booked in with the same tattoo artist Aang went to for his massive tattoo with her second paycheck.

* * *

"S _noozles, I need you to come with me!" Toph said. "You need to make sure I'm not going to chicken out."_

 _"You're not going to chicken out." Sokka soothed. "Your pride won't let you."_

* * *

He was right. He dropped her off at Gyatso's parlour and picked her up when it was done. She'd gotten a thin, black band around her forearm, symbolising the end of her old life. It had widened slightly as she gained muscles after starting Hung Gar, a heavy hitting martial art form. She had managed to get Katara into Tai Chi and Aang into a very small Baguazhang class. Sokka used the wii but no one really complained as he normally made comfort food after the really tiring classes.

* * *

 _Sokka picked up the trio from the studio the classes were held. He hopped out and began pushing his friends into various seats within Appa. Aang and Katara sprawled on two different rows, Toph was sprawled on the passenger seat._

 _"First one in gets first shower but doesn't get first portion of food." Sokka informed the sore people he was driving._

 _There were groans as he mentioned the treat for them,_ technically _healthy food._

* * *

"Snoozles." Toph said, poking the dozing body beside her. "Snoozles."

"What?" Sokka said, sitting up, thinking something was wrong. He wrapped an arm around her slightly rounder abdomen when he realised there was nothing the matter.

"I love you." She stated.

"I love you too." He replied, kissing her on the cheek. Then he lowered his face to her stomach. "I love you too Beanie Baby. Even if you make her eat the weirdest combinations"

"It can't hear you." Toph stated.

"It's the principle of the thing. Plus, I think you talk to it too."

"You can't prove that." She retorted.


	7. Happily Ever After - Day Seven

This took a while to post because I am a lazy ass. I haven't been on here, on the computer, since day 6. I'm surprised it took me six days to get back and post this.

* * *

"...And after the war, there was peace in all the lands. The End." A woman said to the hopefully sleeping children.  
"Grandma, why didn't they live happily ever after?" The youngest asked.  
"Because the story doesn't entirely end there, sweetie." The Grandmother said, gaining the interest of the other child as well.  
"I thought that stories ended at the end or they lived happily ever after." She stated.  
"Not all stories." The Grandmother informed. "Some stories don't end well or are sometimes the start of something better."  
Both children now looked confused.  
"What if I told you that not all stories end but they always do start."  
"You're not making sense, Grandma." The older child said.  
"The stories you heard started in the middle. They started with two teenagers, two siblings, and a lost little boy. They didn't tell you anything about what happened before the stories started, did they?"  
Both children shook their heads.  
"Yet the bad guy had his whole life story told. I'm not saying that it's fair. I'm saying that just because I said The End to say a particular part ended, doesn't mean that the story is over."  
The children's eyes widened in glee.  
"What happened? What happened? What happened?" The youngest cried.  
"Who should I start with?" The grandmother asked with a grin.  
"The prince! No, the water girl! No, the girl warrior!" The youngest cheered.  
"I'll try all three, if I remember them rightly."  
"If not, Grandpa can help." A new voice said. "I'm better than Grandma at remembering stuff." He said with a twinkle in his eyes that made the children giggle.  
"The only thing you're better at than me is losing things, Snoozles." The grandmother retorted.  
"You love me, anyway." The grandfather cleared his throat. "Who are we starting with?" He asked.  
"How about the Blind Bandit?" The older child asked.  
"She stayed close with one of the teenagers, the boy, and they became close enough, that they began dating." The grandmother informed them.  
"He was the coolest one." The grandfather interjected.  
"They got married and had children and one of those children had her own children." The grandmother continued, undeterred.  
"What about his sister?" The older child asked.  
"She married the boy that they found, after dancing around each other for forever." The grandfather said. "Then they had children, who had children."  
"The prince!" The younger child almost yelled. "And his crazy sister!"  
The grandparents winced at the last moniker.  
"The prince took the title that his sister stole and that his father took advantage of. The grandmother said. "He married the girl who never showed emotions and they had a little girl who took the title when it was her turn."  
"His sister, however." The grandfather said, treading lightly. "Was brought to a place where she could get better. So did their father."  
"What happened to the warrior? I thought she'd be with the guy who married the Blind Bandit."  
The grandmother giggled to herself. "They didn't end up together because they were both too stubborn and thick headed. Plus she had a boy back home."  
"What happened to the dragon guy?" The older child asked, curiously.  
"He stayed with his nephew, the prince, and helped him with his title until his final days. Now he's with his own son, who died before his time."  
"What were the names of the heroes, grandma? You never said them." The younger child inquired.  
"The water girls' name is Katara who married the wind boy, Aang. Her brother is Sokka who married Toph, the Blind Bandit. The prince is Zuko and he married Mai, the girl with no emotions. The girl warrior was Suki and she took the cheerleader, Ty Lee, with her for training." The grandmother said.  
"They are real people, remember that. They should be remembered as such." The grandfather said to the children, standing up and stretching. "Good night. He said, kissing their foreheads. Their grandmother mirrored his actions before they left the room.

* * *

"I don't know, Toph." The grandfather said as they walked into the living room. "I think we lived happily ever after. I've got you and that's all I ever wanted."  
She punched him in the arm. "You're still a giant sap, Snoozles." She stated.  
"But I'm your giant sap." He said, pulling her into a hug.


End file.
